Queen of The Dark Side
by space.bunz
Summary: The young Queen of Naboo is distraught to find The First Order has destroyed the capital of the New Republic and might be coming after her solar system next. She has sworn to do whatever it takes to keep her people safe, but what will happen when she meets a certain Knight of Ren who is intent on doing just the opposite? (time is a little during TFA and then continues on afterward)
1. Chapter 1

Queen Neve Celestia rested pleasantly above her imperial canopy in the bountiful planet of Naboo when she was roused awake by low murmurings. Neve was known to be a light sleeper and found herself perplexed as to why her guards emitted the unusual chatter just outside her door. The Queen hopped out of her massive bed, landing with a graceful thud on the carpeted floor. She seized the robe of her nightgown from the coat stand and secured it firmly around her waist. Proceeding to maintain her position by the door, she listened in on the chatter.

" _-completely doomed, The First Order is coming after all of us. We must evacuate immediately."_

The young monarch furrowed her brow as she concentrated to hear the indistinct noises. This was certainly not one of her wardens, she reflected. Perhaps someone from the committee. Neve was brought back from her musings by an overdue response from whomever the voice was directed to.

" _It is crucial that we contact The Resistance before we wake Queen Celestia with any untimely news. She in not adept on these matters."_

" _None of us are, this is a tragedy and our foremost leader must be alerted before-"_

Instantly the portal unbolted and the sovereign stepped through the threshold with a frown painted over her features, "Before what, gentlemen?"

Both officials, simultaneously removed their headwear and vowed to the monarch. She could see now that they were Governor Fero and Councelor A'kala from the Royal Advisory.

"My lady, forgive us for the disturbance of your slumber. We were not sure whether to perturb Your Highness at this ungodly time with the solemn news but I deemed it nece-"

"Please Governor, strip the pleasantries," Neve interrupted, "if this is a matter of politics it should be addressed to me as present as the Council has knowledge of it. Do not misspend more of my time."

Despite being at the ripe age of nineteen, the Queen had already served two terms, making her a crowd favorite but a force to be reckoned with the office of representatives. She stood at barely 5 feet tall clad in diamond covered slippers and a swiveling blue nightgown that veiled much of her pale skin. The mess of silvery white curls atop her head had far escaped the various sleeping braids during the course of her nighty toss and turn. She was considered impossibly beautiful yet lovingly approachable to her people. The kindest, yet fiercest green eyes of the nation.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Allow us to escort you to the legislative chamber. The board will be pleased to hear your judgment on this call," Counselor A'kana assisted.

Neve suppressed her impatience with the officials and permitted herself to be transferred to the committee's location. As she passed the dimly lit corridors she noticed they were deserted; even at night the Theed Royal Palace was always occupied by thrilled ingoers and outgoers of Star Tours. Artists including musicians, poets and performers were invariably up at all hours of the day keeping the castle alive. Now there were only guards, a vast amount of them oddly enough.

As the Queen and her delegates rounded the corner to the Parliament, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Neve knew whatever they were going to inform her was not welcomed news. Stepping through the gold encrusted doors, she looked around the room to find the highest rank of executive members surrounding the panel. The Queen cleared her throat and took a deep calming breath before addressing the Royal House.

"Fellow diplomats, I apologize for my disheveled state but I have been roused awake by passing whispers of imperil harm towards our planet. I wish to be immediately and thoroughly informed by the Council." The court fell quiet. A look of dread transcended over the faces of everyone in the chamber.

Neve sighed exasperatedly, she was the head of state, even if she was the youngest person in the room. From an early age she had been preparing herself to face even the most unthinkable of scenarios. The youngling was well-versed in all sorts of political affairs and was now more than ever itching to prove her capabilities since she would have to, as tradition demanded, resign on her next term.

"At once," She stressed, feeling like a petulant child. She did not like asking for things twice. Nowadays the title of Queen did not hold the kind of power and respect it used to. The events of The Clone Wars alerted the people of Naboo that senators could turn into Sith Lords, as it was in the case of Sheev Palpatine, and queens could have terrible judgment keeping forbidden relationships that would later cost them their lives. No lone individual could possess too much reign over the planet, everyone was kept at bay and within sights at all times.

"Your Highness," stated the head of military division General Lavarett, "There was an attack on the New Republic that has just been made visible to our system. As of now we are not fully informed on the details, but the planets of the Hosnian system, including the capital which was at the time hosting the Galactic Senate and one fleet, have been destroyed."

All color vanished from the Queen's cheeks, she felt faint, her chest too heavy for her own body. One of the officials noticed this and accommodated a position for her at the colossal table. "Wha-what do you mean _destroyed_?" She requested despite the knot in her throat.

The General shifted on his feet uncomfortably, "We suspect it was The First Order, Your Majesty. The Resistance had warned us about their rise for domination but without a consent from the Republic, we could not take action."

After the signing of the Galactic Concordance, The Senate passed the Military Disarmament Act which radically limited the New Republic's armed forces in order to keep the peace. She had knowledge of this and although she did not particularly agree, the Queen had no choice but to adhere to Mon Mothma's orders.

"The Resistance, what do we know from them?" Neve inquired.

"Their location is unbeknownst even to us, Your Excellence." Royal Advisor Unar provided.

"Contact General Organa, straightaway," Neve instructed, "We might not know their coordinates but we have her information and can surely get into communication with their base."

"Without further ado, Queen Celestia," was the last thing she heard before retiring the conference.

The young ruler hurried her step until she was out of sight from any wardens. She took off towards the stairs that led to the palace's highest peak. Neve could feel the tears building up in her eyes and begin to cloud her vision. She thought of the billions of living organisms that had been obliterated, erased from existence, all for power and control. She was almost tripping on her ascend now, envisioning how utterly hopeless the inhabitants must have felt on those last moments, when chaos took over and people ran for their lives with nowhere to hide. Naboo could be next, another planet's entire population eradicated by The First Order. She would not let it happen.

As the Queen reached the top of the towering spire, she looked up at the Naboo night sky and felt the air leave her lungs. The stellar eruptions were painted all across the atmosphere. Spilled red like the blood of the many that had fought valiantly for decades to achieve balance and harmony in the universe. She approached the balcony overlooking the vast flora and fauna of the Solleu River and gripped the railing for dear life.

"Your Highness," she whirled around, a disarray of flowing silk and alabaster hair, to look upon one of her oldest guards, "General Organa is on call and ready to be received."

"Thank you, Ollestar," she frowned ruefully before taking course towards the projector room.

Naboo would not repeat the mistakes that lead to the New Republic's extinction. The Queen would strike back.

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 **Please review and let me know what you think. I'm not sure where I would like the story to go, so I would appreciate lots of feedback from my readers.**

 **MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! xo**


	2. Chapter 2

General Leia Organa was both shocked and relieved when she found out the Naboo system had not been impacted by the Starkiller. There had been no time for the Resistance to investigate the details of the attack and although she never wished any harm to any planet in the Galaxy, she was distinctively fond of Naboo. Leia had been alerted the Queen herself wanted to reach out to her post. She rounded her fellow leaders around the campaign board and pressed the transmission button to wait for feedback from the Palace.

After a few minutes, the image of Queen Celestia appeared on the screen. She was as lovely as everyone said she was. Leia had only met her voice before, but now she had a face to connect it to. Normally you would only catch a glimpse of monarchs in their traditional exuberant attires. However, the Queen was at the moment only wearing a decadent blue nightgown, further covered by a lace robe. She was exceptionally stunning because of her hair, the older woman observed, it was as fantastic as it was uncommon, the color of crisp white snow.

"General Organa," spoke the Queen, "I am so glad to have been able to get in touch with you through these most turbulent times."

"Of course, Your Majesty, we were not sure whether your system had been a direct hit of The First Order but the Resistance has been ceaselessly preparing for retaliation on our front."

"What can I do to help?"

The general raised both eyebrows. It was not the norm for royalty to get involved on matters of warfare. In fact, the whole purpose of The Resistance was to operate in secret and count with as little involvement as possible with politicians and diplomats. Leia thought of what she could do with an ally of her caliber. She certainly did hold a lot of power in her home planet, but Naboo was not known for its ruthless military forces, it was a peaceful system. Although it was admirable the Queen wanted in on the battle, there was not much to contribute. Resistance pilots had already left on their mission to the enemy's base.

"Your Highness, the only way you could help us now is by keeping safe. If we are not successful on our operation, then Naboo could be next," the General explained in a grave tone.

"I will be the first to admit we do not have much of a space force, General Organa, but our men are prepared to defend our planet in combat. Naboo fighters and bombers stand prepared for instructions as we speak," the youngling pleaded.

Leia looked around the room to her united front. Her second-in-command, a young girl named Peony smiled at her encouragingly, "We could give them a shot, it cannot harm our cause."

The former princess sighed and nodded vehemently. She did not particularly enjoy having to rely on outside help, especially one as unplanned as this. But she also understood the sense of duty the Queen felt towards her people, and how hungry Naboo was for battlefront action.

"We will welcome your efforts, Your Majesty. Our pilots have already been deployed to Starkiller base. However, we are vastly outnumbered by the imperial troops. If you could send any helping hands our way, we would be immensely indebted."

Queen Celestia looked pleased with Leia's arrangement. She gave a firm nod to someone that stood off-screen then looked intensely ahead. "I would like to thank you for giving me peace of mind during this desolate hour, General Organa, I am at your service."

The older woman smiled despite herself. The Queen was really something else. She had heard that this was, in fact, her second term in office and that the Naboo loved and admired her, but those had all been rumors to her until now. She expressed a warm farewell to the ruler and turned off the projector.

Everyone dispersed to continue to supervise the pending attack while Peony stayed behind. She was a meek girl, hardly anyone had heard her speak throughout the events that unfolded since the star onslaught. They all knew nonetheless, that she was one of the general's favorites. Leia saw a light in her that perhaps no one else saw, she was destined for greatness. The young girl, in turn, idolized the former princess of the extinct planet of Alderaan by always wearing two buns located at the sides of her head.

"I have a bad feeling in my chest," whispered the General as if to herself.

"You do not think accepting the Queen's help was favorable?" asked Peony confused.

"No it's not that, I feel death surrounds my family."

The 23-year old apprentice was not sure how to respond to that. She had never met the General's son, but she knew this was all his doing. She could not imagine what it would be like to give birth to something so evil and deplorable. It exasperated her to see such a fearless commander like Organa dispirited because of her own offspring's malice.

"Han will be fine. We are all your family and we will see to it that everything goes according to plan. No frayed ends," Peony expressed fervently.

"I just hope he sees reason. I hope my boy comes back."

The novice stayed silent. If she had learned one thing about Leia during all her training was not to oppose her when mentioning her son, it was best to keep neutral. For now, she would go make sure the location of both the Starkiller base and the Resistance fleet were sent to the Royal House of Naboo.

Their outcome on this invasion would change everything, if they could defeat the odds. It would mark the beginning of a government that would not adhere to extremes, whether that be of peace or war. History had demonstrated time and time again that when systems talked about eternal harmony and refused to prepare against outside threats, planets got annihilated. In order for the Galaxy to remain amicable it would have to be well protected. Leia knew this, and was prepared to uphold her strategy. Her assistant worried still, that her son would come between her and her target. Peony swore she would do everything in her power to not let the general forget about the severity of their mission. Everyone had to make sacrifices and her son would just have to be one of them.

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 **Thank you so much to everyone that favorited, followed and left a review. I am giddy to get to the parts I want to get with this story but first I have to set it up perfectly for all of you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to give me your thoughts on the review section. Have an awesome rest of your day,**

 **And may the force be with you :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo Ren laid conscious on the mountains of the mobile ice planet. He could detect the smell of burning tissue emanating from his face wound and relished in the discomfort for a few seconds before grabbing a handful of snow and perforating the gash with it. Kylo knew all about pain. After that huge hairy beast had shot him with what felt like an atomic hand-canon, he was surprised he was still able to move his leg. He had seen the mongrel wipe out stormtroopers and their entire lineage with that holocaustic weapon of carnage.

Determined, he sat up and raised the pant of his leg just enough to appreciate his decaying flesh. That was going to leave a pretty scar if not to be amputated. Kylo grabbed another fist of snow and plastered it all over the injury. He thought back to Snoke's teachings. _Pain is power, let it consume you, use it as a channel._ He closed his eyes and laid back down, his mind racing with the numerous moments his Master had tested his tolerance, this was just a sore ache in comparison.

Then he heard it. Heavy footsteps coming from his right. He searched around desperately for his lightsaber, finally finding it scattered beside a hurdle of rimy rocks. He gave it a kick-start but it would not light up, upon further inspection he noticed his blade was fumed out. The filthy scavenger from Jakku had dragged his weapon against the icy ridges of the frozen ground until it was as good as useless.

Standing up on unbalanced feet, Kylo opened his palms and extended his long fingers to form a sphere by rotating his wrists. He concentrated all his power into balancing the force in his grasp, multiplying it tenfold with every passing second. The footsteps advanced until they were merely at the edge of the foliage that covered their figure. He steeled himself for the onslaught of rebels he was envisioning as he expanded the energy at his grip. Then as the branches shifted to allow the enemy into his view, he released the force-concentrated orb towards the invaders.

At the last fraction of a second, Kylo realized they weren't Resistance fighters coming to finish him off, but a squad of stromtroopers. He seized the massive strike right before it catapulted the bucketheads and clenched it in mid air before sending to the side. A proper amount of at least a hundred trees fell at its wake, the white-armored soldiers staggered back from the impact. One of them even shot up a blast to the sky in the muddled tumult.

The first trooper to catch his breath announced in a panting voice, "Sir, we have direct orders from Captain Hux, who got direct orders from Supreme Leader Snoke, to take you aboard the Star Destroyer."

The dark knight nodded, the shooting pain his leg making it very difficult to verbally respond. He trudged forward, his injured leg acutely trembling with every step.

"Do you need help, Sir," one of the men asked cautiously.

"Bring me… the Command Shuttle," he said through gritted teeth as he passed the rank of troopers and headed towards the direction the squad had come in. The men followed suit. One of them using the radio transmission to alert the command center that Ren was severely wounded and the shuttle would be needed to evacuate. Within seconds the menacing vehicle was descending into the apex of the avalanche.

Almost immediately after landing in the snowy pinnacle, the earth commenced quivering viciously. The mobile planet started collapsing on itself. The Resistance had managed to demolish Starkiller base, that much was clear. Thankfully the shuttle arrived just in time and within seconds the entire crew was aboard and ready to take off.

The first person Kylo's eyes landed on was General Hux. In his hands, he held his helmet. In his face, the world's most cynical grin. "It looks like you're finally going to put this thing to good use," mused the nauseating ginger.

The young Sith attempted his best threatening stroll, but he was losing adrenaline and the terrible condition of his leg could not be feigned. He stalked toward the general at an infuriatingly slow pace and seized the gear from his foul hands before withdrawing to his quarters. Once in the privacy of his station, he sat at one of the ample state-of-the-art chairs situated a few inches from the steel floor. He meticulously took off first his cloak, then his armor, followed by his trousers, leaving only his underclothes. He assessed his injuries.

The First Order's very own traitor had managed to get a shot at him. It was barely a scratch though compared to what he had put him through. Kylo smirked triumphantly, that wretched rat was not going to be able to function for an extended spell of time. His stormtrooper schooling was no match for Snoke's training.

Then he looked at his thigh, were the dreadful laceration still oozed blood at a steady rhythm. He had been able to remove the iron arrow from his muscle earlier on so he figured it would perhaps just heal by itself. Kylo was not much of a medic, and he had no previous experience being physically hurt since he had always won all previous duels.

Still engrossed in his thoughts he limped over to the washroom where he halted, instantly paralyzed after seeing his reflection on the mirror. The vicious slit incised his face in a trajectory from the bottom of his right cheek diagonally to his forehead, barely missing his eye. He felt the all-consuming rage building up in his chest, taking control of his arms and before he knew it, he was punching the looking glass with the power of a thousand suns.

There was a knock on the door and Kylo stopped mid-strike. He took out a few pieces of crystal from his bloody knuckles before coming to the room's entrance. After checking on the viewfinder for identity, he opened the portal.

Phasma stepped through, offering no greeting as she circled her superior. He stood there in just his remaining layer of material coverings. The Captain removed her headwear and openly washed her naked eyes over his body. She ran a hand through her short slick blonde hair and exhaled a dragged out gust of air.

"Sir, I can honestly say I have not seen you in worse condition."

She took a few steps forward and tentatively reached out her gloved hand to touch his face. He grasped her wrist swiftly before she had a chance to make contact.

"Wait for me in your quarters," he ordered detachedly.

"Yes, _Sir_."

Despite her attempt to sound as objective, Phasma let some anticipation drip on that last word. She had been waiting for months now for Ren to get properly furious to need her as a wrath outlet. It was not often that they copulated, but it was without fail after he was livid with ire, and it was always in her room. He knew he could be as brutal as he pleased with her and she would relish in it. At almost his exact height and built, Phasma could rival any men in the ship, even him, and she often did for his enjoyment. But not tonight, tonight he needed to feel in control.

He would soon have to talk to the Supreme Leader about the events that unfolded at the now demolished base. Kylo needed to clear his head.

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 **Ahhh I was so excited to post this chapter, I hope you guys like everything I'm throwing your way. Buckle up, we're just getting started.**

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 **Until next time,**

 **MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

Back at the Theed Royal Palace, Neve sat at the throne room. The customary regal gown bulking heavily on her small figure. She had been waiting anxiously to receive news from the forces she had sent to help the Resistance. The majority of her advisors had opposed when she approved the aid, but she decided to do right by her heart. Neve had never been inclined to violence, but she would be damned if she let masses of innocent people perish at her watch. The Resistance were allies, friends. She would do anything in her power to protect the ones she loved.

As it was only known by her closest acquaintances, Queen Celestia was not born under an upper-class family. She was raised by the Naboo Foster System and after turning eleven sent to the Legislative Youth Program for expressing a solid interest in politics and having impressively high grades. At the tender age of fifteen, she was elected ruler by a wide margin of votes. Most of Neve's life had been spent behind towers of books. She knew even if she was not born with the means to change the world, she would seek them out mercilessly.

All at once, the heavy doors to the room sprang open revealing the approach of Counselor A'kala followed by a few royal guards. They drew near the throne and bowed respectfully to the Queen. She granted them permission to speak and felt her heart beat wishfully upon her chest, eager for good news.

"Your Majesty, we received statement from one of our vessels that Starkiller base has been terminated efficiently-"

"Splendid!" Neve interrupted excitedly, clapping her hands, "With a face like the one you bring before me, Counselor, I would not have guessed you were bringing such wonderful news." The Queen's ladies giggled from accross the room, A'kala's features were almost always marked with a chronic frown.

He cleared his throat, not having anticipated such unmannerly fashion from the sovereign, but continued with his message, "One of our aircrafts was captured by the Imperial-class Star Destroyer on their way to the Resistance base."

The Queen's mouth stood agape. The officials around the room began whispering amongst themselves. Neve raised her voice above the noise, "Counselor A'kala, how is it possible for the First Order to have acquired one of our ships if they had been, like you previously mentioned, obliterated?"

"Well Your Highness, the base at the ice planet was indeed eliminated, however since the pilot was able to send a signal to the rest of the air force before going missing, we know that he is now on Imperial hands."

"Where is the rest of the crew?" She demanded.

"Resistance base, Your Majesty. We have not had word with them since they entered the quarters. We believe the base has turned off their satellite detection because they will change their whereabouts soon and wish their path to remain unnoticeable to the First Order."

Immediately, Neve rose from the throne. The rest of the hall rose with her as it was customary. "Tell the guards to prepare my shuttle, I am visiting the Resistance."

"My lady, if you allow me, I do not think that is a wise idea. They could have already deserted the planet and with the Imperial forces patrolling around we suffer great risk," A'kala implored.

"No one but me will be exposed to any danger. It is not a long journey and I will only take with me a droid pilot," she made her way down the steps and stopped in front of the advisor, "See to it that everything around here stays in order during my absence."

With that, the counselor stayed placated. Neve knew he had airs of power and would not mind being left in charge, "Very well, my Queen."

She exited the marbled walls of the ceremonial chamber and advanced to her room. If she was going to vacate Naboo she would have to do it briskly before the board disapproved. She opened her travel compartment and dragged it to the royal wardrobe before she began throwing some of the dresses she had worked on but never got a chance to wear on account of them being nontraditional. One of the Queen's dearest diversions was stitching her own gowns. She had learned the early technique of sewing, tapestry and embroidery back at the foster home. Most of her artworks, as she liked to call them, were considered unconventional for a monarch to model. But even so, she had designed many a bridal dress for her ladies-in-waiting.

Neve sighed as she retrieved her most precious possession from the little box stored inside her pillow. It was the bracelet she had been found with when her family deserted her at the door of the foster care institute. Even at nineteen, the ornament was too wide for her petite wrists. She secured it firmly around her ankle so, in turn, would never be noticed under her long skirts. It was a thin silver band, an ancient coin she did not recognize dangling from it. She had never asked anyone if they knew about it in fear they would take it from her just as they had taken all her old _junk_ away, being deemed not noble.

The Queen knew she would not stay long at the base but without communication from General Organa, the fate of the whole nation would be doomed. Once the First Order knew that Naboo had participated on the attack they would not hesitate to obliterate them. It was the Queen's duty to do whatever necessary to secure her kingdom's safety, and this was proving to be her greatest challenge in reign yet.

There was a knock at the front, she made sure everything was in place before running to open the door. Neve looked around the empty walkway but no one appeared to have been requesting for her. Then she heard a beep and looked down, it was a droid. She was so used to looking up at officials that she forgot there were things smaller than her on the galaxy.

The droid beeped and Neve listened intently. It said that it was wired to pilot and sent to her by way of Counselor A'kala. She puzzled this in her head. It seemed that her advisor was more eager for her to reach The Resistance than he lead on. She did not have time to ponder on it much as two guards appeared at the entry to help her with her baggage. Queen Celestia followed them into the clearing where her spacecraft waited. She looked back at the palace as she tried to keep up with the sentinels. She knew whatever journey she was about to embark on was worth it to protect her home planet. Neve had never been out of the Naboo system before, but the chain of events that lead to this measures left no other choice.

Aboard the ship, only her and the pilot droid embarked. The beeping machine proceeded to the captain's deck as she sat next to it as copilot. The engine took off and next thing she knew they were flying through the clouds and into hyperspace. The Queen was not sure of many things, but the one thought that never left her mind was, whatever force of nature was driving her into this path seemed to know what it was doing.

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 ** _Wow thank you for following along guys, it warms my heart to see many of you favorited this story. Please leave me some comments with suggestions or even your thoughts so far._**

 _ **Thank you and may the force be with you.**_


	5. Chapter 5

For the first time in years, the verdant planet of D'Qar succumbed to a tight-lipped silence since housing the Resistance. General Organa's sorrow was palpable to everyone at camp. They had never faced a loss this magnitude so near. If it had not been clear to anyone before, this was undoubtedly a war.

Pilot Poe Dameron carried the few supplies he considered vital to his X-wing. The relocation of the base would happen any minute now. Although the starfighter's mission had gone smoothly, the First Order would not rest easy until they had eliminated them as a threat. Their whereabouts were already pin-pointed by imperial forces and the general was in no condition to tackle a retaliation, they would have to flee.

Just as he shoved his favorite pair of boots on the back compartment, Poe heard the low uproar of an airborne engine approaching and apparently so did the rest of the campsite. In a matter of seconds everyone had taken their respected battle positions. Word got to the General who had been grieving alone inside her tent. She scrambled out into the clearing, and looked up to the fearsome sky. As the squadron prepared to open fire, Leia saw something at the side of the aircraft that made the hairs on her neck stand to attention.

"Halt!" Leia screamed, but her plead was too late. A missile had been prematurely launched and landed on the ship's lateral wing.

"Hold your fire," General Organa demanded. Everyone lowered their weapons and looked around in confusion.

The cosmic engine pummeled down to its havoc, just a few feet from campground. Leia rushed after it, Poe and Peony following in tow. They approached the fumes of the wreck and found the catastrophic disintegration of an unmistakable royal ship.

Peony gasped and took a step back, "Is that?"

The pilot was the first to start shifting scraps of metal out of the way. He looked back and howled at his teammates to come aid him with the rummage. Yoho was the first to get there, apologizing profusely for having blasted without authorization. They had all been on edge since the General had locked herself in her quarters, the squadron feared the loss she had suffered would be too much to bear. Now that the Resistance was so close to accomplishing what they set out to do, this kind of setback made them vulnerable to the enemy. He was silenced by Poe's grunts as he attempted to hoist a monumental control panel from beneath even more massive chunks of steel. Straight away, the rest of the men started heaving the weight of the block with all their might, tossing it aside with effort.

"Blood!" Peony exclaimed running towards the exposed surface, she wrapped her arms around the stained boulder and pulled it out of its tight confine. There was a collective inhale from the crowd around her.

"Quick! Bring out a stretcher and prepare the Emergency Shelter," Leia barked out orders until the whole camp was on full swing.

"That's the Queen isn't it?" Peony murmured still kneeling by the same spot as she watched the healers place the girl's limp body on the carrier.

"She looks like a child. I don't know much about royalty, but a queen wouldn't be sent on a mission all by herself, much less to a warzone." Poe observed, wiping white dust from his hands over his vibrantly colored uniform.

"Naboo's sovereigns are the most youthful in the galaxy, kind and fair by nature. She is without a doubt Queen Celestia. I've heard stories about her beauty and valor, this is truly unrivaled."

"Whoever she is, I hope she's okay," the Starfighter hunched his thick eyebrows for a second before catching Peony's gaze and giving her a tight lipped smile, "Well, I've got to go talk with Yoho, but you keep investigating and inform me if you find something useful, think you can do that?"

"Sure can!" Peony grinned brightly. Truth be told, she'd always thought Poe was pretty cute and this was as much interaction as they'd ever had. Maybe he was warming up to her, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to at camp besides the General. The golden haired girl immediately started exploring the ruins of the once mountainous spaceship, she was determined to find something worthy of praise.

Inside at the Emergency Shelter, paced a very distressed Leia. She could not manage another death on her conscience. Han should never had been allowed to take on such a threatening task. He was not a young man anymore; he should have been completely out of harm's way. She should have tried harder to talk him out of the mission and prevent this tragedy. The biggest blow had been finding out that their own son had been the yielder of death. She had maintained hope all these years that seeing how much his parents missed him would bring Ben back to his senses. There was no chance of that now, his reign of terror had to be ended.

"General, she's lost too much blood. We need a transfusion."

Leia began removing her coat and advancing toward the adjacent medical bed.

"Uh ma'am. We can find someone else that's compatible," Healer Bridah halted her in her tracks.

"I'm a universal donor. Don't try and stop me." The General popped herself on the cot and lifted up her sleeve, "Crank up the anesthesia, Doc."

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 _ **I am so terribly sorry for not updating sooner, I have plenty of excuses most of them involving the school semester starting and the load of work I was not expecting. I want to thank everyone who still reviewed and gave me constructive feedback. Definitely not giving up on this story so keep a look out for upcoming updates!**_

 _ **May the force be with you all.**_


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